BOOK REVIEW: One Word at a Time: Finding Your Way as an Indie Author

 

A Book Review.....

Books....Books....Books....and, Even More Books, Please!!!!!

.....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E. Hughes



Occasionally, within your busy, daily life, you unexpectedly run across something that turns your head, makes you think and helps solidify that what you and many others do is nothing short of......well, impressive!!!

Today, I am taking you on a journey into my perspective of a nonfiction novel.....beautifully crafted from personal experience, meticulously thought out and, I believe, will soon become an invaluable inspiration for ALL writers.

Eric Vance Walton is a novelist, author and poet with a writing career spanning nearly two decades.  He has published several books in different genres and has won several awards for his work including the "James Thurber Treat Prize." 

"One Word at a Time: Finding Your Way as an Indie Author," is this author's initial venture into the nonfiction genre.  Mr. Walton has compiled within this journey the blood, sweat and tears, the ups and downs, and the social media 'do's and don'ts' that are associated with his long, successful, Independent writing career.

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BOOK REVIEW: "One Word at a Time:
                             Finding Your Way as an Indie Author"
                             By: Eric Vance Walton




"One Word at a Time: Finding Your Way as an Indie Author" by Eric Vance Walton, is a brilliant example of one seasoned Indie Author combining his expanded knowledge and expertise of more than twenty years in order to assist others along the often long and arduous road to becoming a published author.

We, the readers, as the title implies, expect to be led down the best path-of-knowledge afforded us by Mr. Walton's own experiences, including 'How To' writing tips, things we should do, as well as things to avoid, along with examples of each.  We are not disappointed!

In addition, the reader is enlightened by an intimate tone and approach as Mr. Walton sites expressions of his own family members that have encouraged and honed his present day attitudes of self-discipline and frugality, as well as sharing his methods of emotional control through meditation, yoga and exercise.  He makes it abundantly clear that we should never allow our writing to consume our entire lives and that we should always make time for family and friends along the journey.  This attitude, stressed by Mr. Walton, is the foundation for a unique balance between a successful writing career and a stable personal life.

While defining the term 'Indie Author' as a writer who publishes outside of the mainstream publishing industry, at the very beginning, Mr. Walton sets the tone of his book.  We know this information is not going to be typical, rather, he fills us in on his more than twenty-year ride of being an Indie Author himself, utilizing modern technology, including social media, and having it work for all of us.  His qualifications withstand the test of time as he allows his techniques to be flexible yet challenging throughout his own lengthy career.

I found Mr. Walton's poignant use of quotes by various authors direct validation for all of his own ideas and helped to strengthen the messages he wished to convey to the reader.  Also, I found it charming that he seemed unabashed by opening-up his soul to us and exposing his vulnerability, allowing us to see his human side. "My readers are my boss...."  Yet, Mr. Walton was just as capable of exerting his strengths by reinforcing the necessity of a proper publisher fit, encouraging our creative energy by visiting local art fairs and theater productions while pointing-out and understanding the difference between being a 'starving artist' and an artist that takes firm control of his own destiny....one day at a time.

My only real criticism would be that although Mr. Walton creates many positive prompts, he is repetitive at times when it comes to offering useful examples.  In terms of writer's block or just pushing yourself away from your writing desk for a needed respite, the act of walking your dog is often used.  I understand the use of positive reinforcement in this case, however, the reader comprehends the significance of this gesture early on.  I was hoping for a touch of 'quirkiness' thrown in by Mr. Walton at times to lighten-up the mood and infuse a modicum of unpredictability into the mix.

Our world changes so quickly and on a daily basis and modern technology is a forerunner of many of these changes.  As an avid reader and a writer myself, I seek out every advantage I can in making sense out of the complicated and competitive world of being an Indie Author.  Eric Vance Walton has capitalized on the theme that knowledge of the inner workings of this industry is not only bliss, but a dire necessity when it comes to success!  Placing this knowledge within a comfortable writing format as in "One Word at a Time: Finding Your Way as an Indie Author," readers will instantly know they have a good friend on their side in Mr. Walton and an invaluable reference guide to independent publishing that should be placed nearby them at all times.



NOTE: The publishing release date for "One Word at a Time:..." To be announced soon by Authors Publish Press.  Visit Mr. Walton's Author Website Link below to learn more.


Author Website Link:

 http://ericvancewalton.wordpress.com/


Copyright © 2014 By Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved

JOURNEY INTO THE FUTURE

 A series of essays.....

The Art of Downtown Waynesville, North Carolina

.....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E. Hughes


Her name is Kaye Matthews, a classically beautiful lady with a kind face, soft eyes and a smile as wide and charming as the State of North Carolina itself!  We had never met before.....until fate brought us together one crisp, sunny morning while walking in downtown Waynesville.....oh, just last Saturday!


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Our Land.....Fairytale Setting

Last time, Dear Reader, I wrote about time shifting in the mists, changing shapes like a spirit holding your hand, guiding you along its dreamlike path.  The only other place on earth  we have ever experienced this magical enchantment was in Ireland.  The allure of both Western North Carolina and Ireland can be found in their extreme beauty!  The kind of beauty that clutches at your heart and squeezes it affectionately until it literally begins to take your breath away.  I often compare this feeling with the act of looking at my grandchildren's faces and wishing to breathe their very existence into my soul as though they consisted of sweet vapor created as an elixir guaranteed to enchant me forever!

Do you have children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews?  Ah, then you do know what I am talking about....

Arriving at our motel quite late Friday night inhibited us from doing anything more than sleep.  Judging by the six handsome Harley-Davidson bikes arranged like black swans swimming side-by-side and frozen in time in the parking lot, we assumed we'd be serenaded by their revved-up engines early in the morning.  And, we were not disappointed!  However, with the glorious sun just beginning to peek-out over the mountaintop to the east, we were more then ready to begin the day. 

Traditions

Most mornings consist of the partaking of a hardy breakfast at Joey's Pancake House established in 1966 by its founders, Joey and Brenda O'Keefe.  It has become the favorite breakfast stop for the locals and visitors of Maggie Valley alike.  Okay, the sweet potato pancakes are awesome and among some of the best I've ever eaten!  When in town, meet at Joey's for breakfast!  We never fail to take a picture of one of us outside at the foot of their famous sign as traffic whizzes by on Soco Road, Highway 19, just a few feet away.  Who said we were slaves to tradition?

Driving from Maggie Valley into Waynesville, a few minutes away, is like coming home for Dan and me.  Navigating Main Street is the equivalent of shrugging off your favorite coat and walking boots knowing that soon you will be bathed in the warmth of a crackling fire, feet up and facing the comfort and solidity of the heart of the home.  Here, the locals always smile and treat you as though you were an old friend.

Dan Inside Mast General Store

Parking the car in front of the Mast General Store, known for their "Quality Goods, Fair Prices & Old-fashioned Friendly Service," since 1883, of course, we went inside!  I had to pick-up some goodies to take up to our grandchildren in a few weeks for Halloween!  While choosing loose candy in the lower level of the store from old oaken barrels and placing them in tiny baskets, eventually purchased by final weight count, we were serenaded by the ancient floorboards high above our heads.  As the customers on the main floor went about their quests for that perfect woolen sweater or gift to bring back for a loved one, their many footsteps constantly marked a frantic rhythm that carried it's melodic echo down to all of us below. 

Another very special treat is walking down into The Classic Wine Seller located on Church Street and just around the corner from the Mast General Store.  Proprietors, Richard and Kay Miller, are more than happy to share their passion for wine, beer, food and live music with their guests.  To our great pleasure, since our last visit, they had opened-up the original 'wine storage' area and transformed it into a brick & oak wine bistro that would delight and challenge the most seasoned gourmand on any given day!  Now, set all of this to live music each Friday and Saturday night and.....you have a winner!

Walking back up to street level, Dan and I realized that, essentially, we had been walking down Memory Lane for the past hour or so.  Subconsciously, were we avoiding the inevitable?



Stepping Stones Into Our Future

Scooting across the street and passing the local bakery as swiftly as possible, we found ourselves standing statuesque in front of Re/Max Mountain Realty.  With heads held high and hearts in our throats....we opened the tall, glass door and entered with only minor trepidation.  Strange....  After all of the dreams, hopes and beliefs we had carried around in our hearts like stepping stones into our future, they were about to tumble and fragment into dust after nine years. 


Are you ever truly prepared for such life changing decisions?




Kaye and Dan Discussing Strategy?

"Hello," she said, and introduced herself as Kaye....Kaye Matthews.  She was a classically beautiful lady with a kind face, soft eyes and a smile as wide and charming as the state of North Carolina itself!  We had never met before that moment and, already we knew we were in strong, caring and capable hands.  Sometimes....you just know.

For the first time that weekend we were able to make the short trip we'd been avoiding up to Cansadie Top Mountain, Lot #26, Glens of Iron Duff.....our personal 'slice of heaven.'  It was beautiful!  Kaye followed us up in her car.  The air was as crisp as the very first bite of a shiny, red apple even though the sun bathed us in its golden light and plied us with its false promises of genuine warmth. 



Bear Vista Trail and Property

I do believe the three of us stayed warm due to the surrounding beauty, as well as the lively conversation, uninhibited laughter and the mutual sharing of thoughts and experiences.  Discovering our commonalities brought on more chatter......at least until our teeth were doing the very same thing!  We learned later that the overnight temperatures would bring the area's first bona fide frost.  Sitting here now, I can't help but think about how that frost assisted in encouraging the intensity of fall colors the people there must be enjoying today!

Eventually, Kaye proceeded down the mountain and home.  Dan and I lingered for a little while longer as we reflected on so many things.  This spot is where we had dreamt of seeing our grandchildren romp and play among the trees while helping Papa collect firewood; where we would enjoy our morning coffee on the front porch overlooking the valley below; where we would decorate several Christmas trees freshly cut at Boyd's Tree Farm just on the other side of Cansadie Top; where family and friends would gather for amazing meals lovingly prepared and served at our long, wooden table we had acquired several years ago just for this purpose....


Natural Beauty At Its Very Best



And, where we would grow even older together, Dan and I, while enjoying every peaceful moment of each and every day.

I have always contended that this crazy and incredulous life brings with it twists and turns you could only imagine in your wildest dreams.  It takes each and every one of us on a rocking roller coaster ride all the way to the inevitable end.  In the meantime, how you choose to ride that coaster, feeling-out each curve with dignity and grace or, rigidly bracing yourself against everything negative, is what will determine your path in this life.
 



Brulee Hughes

We did a lot of serious soul searching several weeks ago when our beloved friend and companion of fourteen years passed away.  Brûlée, our sweet Cocker Spaniel, believed and trusted in us for everything.  What he gave back to us was his friendship and unconditional love.  Since saying good-bye, we've decided to trust in our ability to believe in a realistic and solid future with family and friends around us for love and support.  As we cautiously proceed along the next turn, we are keeping a positive attitude and an open-minded approach to anything and everything.

Our journey into the future is far from settled.  However, by listing our land on Cansadie Top this past weekend, we've taken the first wobbly steps, as most children learn to do, before walking steadily on our own. 



Sunny Fern

Maybe it was the cool, crisp air or the anticipation of the riotous reds, oranges and yellows soon to pop madly across the beautiful Western North Carolina mountains but, whatever it was, it's certain that along with change enters a peaceful period of life with the fundamental truth that  new life and fresh starts are to follow.



View From Road At Bottom of Property

Copyright © 2014 By Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved

CANSADIE TOP...HERE WE COME!

A series of essays.....

November 4, 2005, Mountain and Valley View from the Top of Our Property

.....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E. Hughes

Exchanging Capri pants and shorts for blue jeans and relegating my traditional flip-flops to the secondary role of 'slippers' to make room for covered-toed shoes and hiking boots......painful.  Oh, and did I forget to mention socks?  You know, those particular items of terror that encase your feet as if they were sausages with the prospect of keeping them warm and dry!?!  What's a Florida girl to do?

Even as my specific world of haberdashery is being turned upside down, I gladly extract our small suitcase from its upper-shelf location in our closet and toss it on the bench at the foot of the bed.  Loving the slightly 'teeth-gnashing' sound unzipping it makes, I am reminded of all the previous excursions we've taken up to the Waynesville/Maggie Valley area in the past nine years since falling wildly in love with Cansadie Top Mountain within The Glens of Iron Duff, in Haywood County, North Carolina!

Snuggled between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Pisgah National Forest in the Blue Ridge Mountains, our mountain, Cansadie Top, is centered in a triangle formed by I-40 to the west, the Pigeon River to the east and the National Park to the north.  As a matter of fact, as we stand on the small mountain road, Bear Vista Trail, that delineates the northern boundary of our 2.2 acres of heaven, our vista is nothing short of spectacular! Stretching out to the mountains located northeast of the Pigeon River, we see small farms in the valley and listen to the echoing mooing sounds that travel up Cansadie Top from the bovine herds grazing down in the distant meadows. 

Hanging at the mercy of gravity and the lush foliage clinging to the mountainside, our lot lives along the 'belt' of the mountain, halfway up.  We've often traversed the winding lane, Frank Davis Road, in order to reach its peak.  After purchasing the land, Dan and I made a point of visiting it at least once, often twice, each season of the following year......taking photos and documenting the changes that occurred on the land every three months. 

Dan Presenting Lot #26, The Glens of Iron Duff

We have witnessed the expanded views of winter when the brown, crispy leaves are piled high beneath the skeletal trees and become dusted with powdery snow.  Sitting snugly within the warm confines of our car, we'd munch a light lunch purchased at the local Ingles Supermarket as we talked, dreamed and devoured the wide open spaces before us.

I remember getting my car stuck in the thick mud at the end of our little road as the springtime rains created havoc when mixed with the thawing earth.  We would use the turn-around at the road's end to point us back down the mountain and then park just above our lot.  Fortunately, Dan had a change of blue jeans in the suitcase at the back of my Kia Sportage because the ones he had on were sporting massive amounts of brown Cansadie Top real estate!  We laughed so hard tears ran down our cheeks.

Our 'mountain lane' conversations ranged from where to position our future log home in order to have optimum views to, should our log cabin have an attached or detached garage to, choosing the least amount of trees to be removed in order to make all of this happen.  It was always going to be a house made from logs.....you know, the flat kind with tons of chinking stuffed between each beautiful, long length of wood.

Another View Facing The Pigeon River to the Northeast

Today, however, is bittersweet.  We are on a mission this weekend.  Time shifts and constantly changes form like a fairy spirit floating through the mists; a Banshee warning you of major life changes just ahead?

I will talk with you, once again, on the flip-side of this journey to Cansadie Top....



Copyright © 2014 By Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved

I WANT YOU......!!! PERSPECTIVE OF A PERSONAL BLOG SITE

Promotional


A series of essays.....

I WANT YOU.....DEAR READER!!!

......as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E. Hughes


One year ago this week, my Blog, Moving On, 2013, began.  The hoopla and enthusiasm surrounding its birth was centered directly on the joy and unequivocal excitement that is derived from visiting people within their own habitats, culture and society.  This joy of life was then, gratefully, shared with you.....through my eyes!

When 2013 slipped into 2014, admittedly, I was still riding the 'high' of recently having returned from one of the most spectacular and eye-opening trips to the Wild West Coast of Ireland.  Having stood at the base of an 'Holy Icon,' Croagh Patrick, in County Mayo, to climbing up toward the heavens on the peak of Diamond Hill, Benbaun at 2,400 feet, in the heart of Connemara National Park, my heart soared with new insights and indubitable Love!

This was a new year and Moving On, 2014 had to roll with the changes, so.....included in my blog were stories, essays, if you will, about people, places and things that have greatly influenced my life, past and present.  Along this journey, I had hoped to learn so much via my research and, I certainly have, as well as been able to pass this insight on to you in an entertaining and humorous fashion.  Hopefully, I was able to achieve the latter more often than not!?!

At the end of my first year of consistent (weekly) blogging, I'm still only half way up the learning curve when it comes to effectively utilizing social media and tweaking it to my advantage.  As a human being, feedback in any form, positive or negative, is helpful in determining the success of our endeavors and whether or not it is advantageous to continue in a certain direction.  As a writer, ideas, words, sentences and phrases will always continue to flow like the waters of a mountain stream and be written down with much love and patience in order to soothe an aching desire, an ancient need...with or without those who read them!

However, who is a performer without an audience or, a teacher without students, a challenge minus stimulating competition?  Bouncing our thoughts and ideas off of others in order to gain unlimited perspectives has historically been helpful towards innovative growth in general, political agendas and, artists of all sources of mediums and levels of magnitudes.  Social media has encouraged artists to 'hawk their wears,' so to speak, offer their talents and aggressively peddle their 'goods' for sale and/or consumption on a street call Mainstream Avenue.

As I stand here on 'M' Avenue, crunching autumn leaves beneath my rubber soles and blowing party horns while throwing colorful confetti in celebration of my first anniversary....my words bounce and echo off of the brick walls of the tall buildings surrounding me.  This sound reminds me that my ideas are not always escaping beyond the brick and mortar; advancing beyond my 'realm of dreams' by riding on the sound waves created by Facebook and Twitter.  What is needed to create the enthusiasm required to expand and to grow stronger?  I am so asking your help with this one!

Moving On, 2015 is fast approaching, advancing like a herd of wild buffalo on the open plains, kicking up dust and debris in its wake.  Even though I am not prepared to relinquish 2014 and believe deeply and gratefully in the 78 Likes my 'Blog Page' (Jackie.thetravelingkeyboard) on Facebook has generated this rookie year, I know I can do even more.  All of my 'Faithfuls,' as I like to call those who consistently read, like or comment on, my blog, mean the world to me!  Without your encouragement I would be nothing.  Thank you, always....

By the end of 2014 and, certainly, by the beginning of next year, I want to 'turn it up a notch' by generating more of my Faithfuls who, in turn, will help to generate even more by sharing and talking about Moving On.  I believe in my writing.  I trust in the common sense and down to earth attitudes I employ when approaching my stories for your consumption and entertainment.  Like every good performer, teacher and artist in general, I take my work seriously enough to induce and promote your heated desire, as a reader, to stick with me....just one story longer......!

Sincerely,

Jackie Hughes

Copyright © 2014 By Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved

FALLING IN LOVE ALL OVER AGAIN...!

A series of essays.....

A Colorful Selection of Fruits and Vegetables from a French Farmer's Market

.....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E. Hughes


Hey, I met a girl.  I've only known her for a few weeks now.  I think I'm in love.  Yes.  It could be love....after all of these long and lonely years.

Her name is Rachel.  It's funny because the only other person I can think of right now with this name is Rachel Ray.  And, I've never liked Rachel Ray, at all.  So, this puts 'name associations' aside.  It always fascinated me how some people could dislike certain names because they associated them with an individual they didn't care for.  I like the name Rachel....just not Rachel Ray!

Anyway, my Rachel is beautiful, quite the visionary and intelligent in a most appealing way.  Gotta love her, you know!! 

And, what a body.....I mean lean, healthy curved in all the right places!  Wow!  It's obvious that she takes good care of herself.

And, most importantly, she LISTENS to me!  I mean, you just don't get this from every 'pretty' face you meet, now, do you?  No, it takes a special person to make you feel good about yourself.....she is, well, amazing is the best word I can come up with to describe her.  If I have a question about anything.....she'll have an appropriate, compelling answer for me.

Yep, the all-around perfect woman from what I can tell.

I'm kind of a passionate person myself, so.....when I first listened to what Rachel had to say, I was attracted to every word, hook, line and sinker: "Hello!  I'm Rachel......  My passion is sharing real food ideas that are fun, simple and delicious.  I love people (including me?) and hearing how others are eating more clean food, too!"

Her full name is Rachel Maser who is the mother of four and the creator and host of Clean Food Crush, at www.cleanfoodcrush.com and we met on Facebook several weeks ago.  That's when I fell in love.....

......That's when I fell in love with ME all over again, because of Rachel!!!

Berry Smoothie with Whey 
Protein Powder
 

This is the best way to describe the term 'clean food' or, 'clean eating' to you.  "The soul of clean eating is consuming food in its most natural state, or as close to it as possible. It is not a diet; it is a lifestyle approach to food and its preparation, leading to an improved life – one meal at a time."





Additional gems of wisdom by The Clean Eating Team include:


EAT FIVE TO SIX TIMES PER DAY:
Three meals and two to three small snacks. Include a lean protein, plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, and a complex carbohydrate with each meal. This keeps your body energized and burning calories efficiently all day long.

DRINK AT LEAST TWO LITERS OF WATER A DAY:
Preferably from a reusable canteen, not plastic; we’re friends of the environment here! Limit your alcohol intake to one glass of antioxidant-rich red wine a day.

GET LABEL SAVVY:
Clean foods contain just one or two ingredients. Any product with a long ingredient list is human-made and not considered clean.

AVOID PROCESSED AND REFINED FOODS:
This includes white flour, sugar, bread and pasta. Enjoy complex carbs such as whole grains instead.

KNOW THY ENEMIES:
Steer clear of anything high in saturated and trans fats, anything fried or anything high in sugar.

SHOP WITH A CONSCIENCE:
Consume humanely raised and local meats.

CHOOSE ORGANIC WHENEVER POSSIBLE:
If your budget limits you, make meat, eggs, dairy and the Dirty Dozen your organic priorities.

CONSUME HEALTHY FATS:
Try to have essential fatty acids, or EFAs, every day.

LEARN ABOUT PORTION SIZES:
Work towards eating within them.
Author's Note: We can all learn from the French on this one.  Food there is always meant to be savored, not OVERSIZED.

REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT:
Eat produce that is seasonal and local. It is less taxing on your wallet and our environment.

SLOW DOWN AND SAVOR:
Never rush through a meal. Food tastes best when savored. Enjoy every bite!

TAKE IT TO GO:
Pack a cooler for work or outings so you always have clean eats on the go.

MAKE IT A FAMILY AFFAIR:
Food is a social glue that should be shared with loved ones. Improve the quality of your family’s life along with your own.


These truly are fantastic rules to live by: Simple, easy and clean!

Clean Veggie Plate with Eggs

My husband and I are in this together and, we've never felt more comfortable or positive about an eating regime.  We believe it's all about going back to the basics....how simple is that?  Before there was pop (So sorry, fellow-Floridians, it's soda for you!), ugly chips in a can, or 'Big Bucks' to be made by a few under the auspices of 'fast-food convenience,' there were family gardens in the back yard, canning foods for winter consumption and water was the first drink of choice.

Curry and Coconut Chicken
with Sweet Potatoes

We can do it again.  We can break this modern cycle of greed and self-indulgence as we open ourselves up to healthier, cleaner possibilities in foods.  Yes, eat organically if possible however, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and the like aside, more and more of our national grocery chains are incorporating GreenWise products (Publix Brand) into the mainstream and making 'buying clean' more affordable and convenient, especially within the inner city and   walking distance for most people.  I urge you to check-out your own neighborhood family markets.

Coconut Oil Chicken with Veggies

Next step: Take steps and go for walks together....as a couple, as a family or, all by yourself!  The morning can be the most beautiful and inspiring time of your day!  Bring along your camera of choice and document the sights around you.  You will be amazed by the pureness and stark intensity of the light surrounding you....

Thank you, Rachel.  What more can be said? 

Rachel's followers are growing in numbers by the day, hour and minute.  We are asking questions such as, "What is the difference between steel-cut oatmeal and rolled oats?"  Do you know?  And, we are getting answers.  Knowledge is wonderful!  We are learning to think about what goes into our bodies and if it will keep us healthy or make us sick.  If we wish to be healthy....then we are taking the beginning steps towards loving ourselves enough to be able to treat our bodies and souls to the clean, healthy lifestyle they deserve!

Check-out Rachel for yourself.....you just might fall-in-love all over again.



Rachel Maser

Rachel Maser, Clean Food Crush
www.cleanfoodcrush.com











Copyright © 2014 By Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved

BEYOND THE GRIEVING WELL.....

 A Personal Tribute To A Special Friend...

Dan's Chalk Drawing of Brulee Dated Early 2001

Was it just yesterday morning when time stopped as we have known it for the past fourteen years?  Yes.....

I am suspended within a transparent bubble filled with my own salty tears and supported by the undissolved particles of loss...grief...despair. 

Outside of this bubble the world resembles a Dali dream scape complete with melting clocks and swarming ants where The Persistence of Memory is beating, beating, beating its chorus into my saddened heart.

A well-intentioned gift from Family designed to fill yet another void, this furry, black and white creature bore into my soul upon first sight.  With 'Baby' nails clicking along pink porcelain tiles and sharp, tiny teeth shredding hems of jeans....he opened the 'heart door' and slammed it firmly shut behind him!

Weekend powwow provided his name when our youngest combined my Francophile tendencies with his stark coloring of black and white.  So, Crème Brûlée, he was christened, Bru, for short; Mr. Brûlée, when I seriously required his immediate attention...

Funny how the smallest details rise to the surface: Holding him tight when they drew his blood at the Vet's; watching him interact for the first time with our grandchildren; chasing him around the family room couch until he would stop, turn and chase us within a hail of laughter and heavy breathing on our part...

Brûlée, our Florida Child, shaking in wonder when discovering ice and snow for the very first time. I don't believe he felt comfortable traversing this crystalline landscape.....ever!  Perhaps he just sympathized with his human parents?

He need not worry!  The tiny lizards he loved to hunt and prey on for hours within the heat of an Orlando afternoon, existed for his pleasure....or, so he believed.  Even with their tiny tails eradicated by their furry hunter, these miniature beasts survived to live another day!

I could go on and on and on.... 

For now, we will jump into our 'well of grief' and slide beneath the leaf-laden surface until body and soul can be purged and cleansed by the saturating and healing waters.  After we have allowed our bodies to sink to its very depth, a world of pebbles and silt, only then can we reverse our course and begin to rise to a brighter surface.

As echoes of his paw steps ring in our ears today and memories of his short, wagging tail brighten tomorrow's horizon, we will arise from the well, dry ourselves off in the Floridian sunshine and concentrate on the future.....

That adorable little face and fourteen years of amazing memories with Brûlée by our side will help us smile again, reflect, aid during this grief and, hopefully, guide us full circle into the healing warmth we need so much to find.

Thank you, Mr. Brûlée!  It was a helluva ride!  ❤    


Dated: Monday, September 22, 2014

Best Gift Ever...!  Best Friend, Always...!

Copyright © 2014 By Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved

WHAT YOU WAITING FOR?

A series of essays.....

"Down the Rabbit Hole" Directed by Tim Burton, 2010

.....as seen through my eyes!


By: Jacqueline E. Hughes


Gwen Stefani.....What You Waiting For?.....popped-up while scrolling through YouTube music videos so, I watched it again.  It had been a  little while since seeing it last and, the storyline behind it is cute, fresh and who doesn't like a good 'Alice down the rabbit hole' theme?  It often equates to my sense of adventure.

It never fails......as humans, whenever milestones approach, we begin to reflect upon the past while viewing what might, or could, lie ahead for us.  Suddenly, the words Inspiration, Writer's Block, Creative Pathways and 'Pay Whenever You're Finished' loom large in my mind.  Adding another year, this month, to a growing list of 'Wedding Anniversaries' will do that to you! 

Did I happen to mention possible 'missed opportunities' in the above list?

Hey, listen!  There are few complaints coming from me on this one considering September has been reserved as our 'major travel month,' especially when including our Anniversary in the mix, and it has served us well throughout the years.  Couple this with the fact that traveling through Europe in September is such a beautiful and enriching experience!

Farmers Bringing In Their Grapes

In France it is harvest time.....the ritual of harvesting the grapes (The Vendanges) for another year of delicious French wines rich in the traditions of Old Family beliefs, as well as youthful and imaginative new blends sporting colorful labels on the bellies of their corked, glass bottles. 

Photo Courtesy of Domaine Rouge Bleu

It was a joy to witness the pride etched onto the farmer's faces via deep-set creases and wrinkles as they pulled their precious crop behind ancient tractors smeared with rust and bits of color.  In The Cave, the grapes are separated and/or mixed according to variety and depending upon which 'blend' each farmer or vintner is looking for.  Near the village of Sablet, a Côtés Du Rhône Villages, and our home for a week in September of 2009, the local wine is made from hand-harvested grapes.  People from all over the world flock to these areas in September to become a part of this ritual filled with spontaneous camaraderie and the pure zest for life or joie de vivre!


Kissing Balloons Over The Loire Valley

September is the perfect time to ride high up in the clouds and sail over the Loire Valley in central France like a bird taking advantage of thermal air currents and updrafts in order to prolong its flight.  Even though we tasted the crisp and fruity wines of this beautiful valley also, our thirtieth Anniversary back in 2003, took us to great heights above the vineyards and the numerous and notable châteaux of the region in the form of a hot-air balloon adventure. 

Replica of First Balloon Aircraft

The first successful, untethered manned flight in a balloon aircraft happened on November 21, 1783 in Paris, France.  Here we were, nearly 220 years later, ensconced within an oversized basket (gondola) with eleven unknown faces (including the pilot) surrounding us, gliding majestically above ancient slate roofs, cows grazing in lush, green fields and treetops so close we could pick the uppermost leaves to bring home as souvenirs!



Solitude and Tranquility

Our evening flight originated in Amboise which lies on the banks of the Loire River and is seventeen miles east of Tours.  After briefly meeting our fellow travelers, we were whisked away in a van as the balloon pilot hung out of the window brandishing a large red flag used to calculate the wind direction.  Stopping occasionally, she would hold the flag high and then direct our driver to the best spot for assembling the hot-air balloon.  Her information was instrumental in pre-guiding the pick-up vehicle to our approximate landing destination based on wind direction, as well as visually chasing our balloon's path.

What struck me most was the solitude of this flight.  Even though there were people around me and occasional bursts from the burner directing a flame into the envelope (balloon) mimicking thermal lift, we were mesmerized by the historical scenery below and the tranquility of balloon flight in general. 

When the sun began to disappear, our expert pilot landed our machine in an open field where we all became a part of 'the ground crew' gathering pools of the deflating nylon envelope in our hands.  We were all as giddy as small school children high on the vapors of pure excitement pulling together to smooth the colorful fabric, fold it into one, long strip and proceed to roll it up as if it were a gigantic sleeping bag.  Working as one unit, we could hear others speaking in German, Italian, Spanish, French, English and more, laughing and enjoying the international company of their fellow travelers.  Was this a fine example of how the people of this world could work and enjoy being together devoid of racial and religious differences?  We were proud to be a part of this moment in time....




Looking For A Spot To Land

Administering high fives amidst a cacophony of wild cheers as our job was completed, our pilot began popping champagne corks from the stash of bottles in the back of the van.  Waiting for everyone to hold their filled champagne flute aloft, a loud, magnificent cheer arose from the darkened field, now pierced by the headlights from the various assembled vans, as we toasted a perfect hot-air balloon flight together.  Each of us was presented with a signed 'certificate of achievement' commemorating our voyage and mutual respect for one another.

Last year, 2013, our September adventure included climbing Benbaun, the highest mountain in the Na Beanna Beola or, the Twelve Bens Mountains of Connemara that span the Wild Western Way along the western coast of Ireland.  This was the most physical and dangerous of all our exciting experiences to date.  However, the bounty of spectacular scenic views gathered from the summit of Benbaun was worth each and every step and rocky foothold it took to reach it!! 

Standing On Top Of The World!!!

I stated once before in an earlier blog entitled, IRELAND: 2013, Mountain, where I described our wild and crazy adventure in Connemara National Park last year, "...the pride and self-
confidence I brought down that mountain with me that day was beyond compare.  Was I humbled?  You betcha..."

The lyrics to Gwen's song, "Life is short, you're capable," reminded me of why we help hand-harvest grapes in the Rhone Valley, glide high above Châteaux Chenonceau in France's Loire Valley and climb the beautiful and rugged mountains along Ireland's Wild West Coast.......

Life is too short not to and because, well, we can!!

I can hardly wait for what is yet to come!  I love September!!

So, what are you waiting for?

Hand-Picking Grapes, Courtesy Domaine Rouge Bleu

Copyright © 2014 By Jacqueline E. Hughes
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